Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a news conference on the Trans-Pacific Partnership on March 15 in Tokyo. / Itsuo Inouye, AP

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

TOKYO (AP) - Japanese voters went to the polls Sunday in an upper house of parliament election expected to give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition a strong mandate as he pushes ahead with economic reforms and his conservative political agenda.

A victory would give Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and partner New Komeito control of both chambers of parliament - an elusive goal for the government in recent years.

That would make it easier for Abe to deliver on sweeping changes needed to cope with Japan's rapidly graying population and bulging national debt. It also might give him the power to push through his party's nationalist platform of constitutional reforms.

Abe says his first priority is sustaining a nascent economic recovery. Since taking office after the Liberal Democrats won a lower house election in December, the ailing economy has improved under aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus.

"I want them to carry on doing their best as the economy seems to be picking up," said Naohisa Hayashi, a 35-year-old man who runs his own business.

Abe has promised to carry out reforms meant to boost Japan's competitiveness. But he also faces a decision this fall on whether to follow through on raising the sales tax next April from 5% to 8% - a move many worry will derail the recovery.

A convincing victory in Sunday's election, where half the 242 seats in the less powerful upper house of parliament are up for grabs, may also embolden Abe and his backers in the LDP to pursue a nationalistic agenda he was unable to pursue when his first time in office, in 2006-2007, was cut short after he resigned for health reasons.

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